Church attendance is important because it is a way to check up on people and to make new friends. When I attend church, it gives me the opportune time to greet people and ask them how they are doing if there is no connection between us through any form of social media. It makes me more accountable to make sure that we see each other at church, and we are consistent with attending church each week.  You can establish a bond and create a friendship with those people because you get the opportunity to worship and praise the Lord with other believers. It makes people feel good when they know you care about attending church with them. 

It is also important to attend church to see how you interact with other people and to see how God works within our lives. After church, I go to my deacon or a prayer warrior to talk to them about what is the best way to deal with certain situations and people, so I do not act and speak irrationally. These people can guide me on how to act Godly and can show me what scriptures to study. They also share their stories on how they reacted to similar people or a similar situation. I am gaining knowledge by learning from my fellow church members’ experiences and encouraging me to consult the Bible. This has helped me manage my emotions and control my tongue from speaking too fast. 

Reaching out to church members has helped me become a stronger person spiritually and emotionally. We grow together by learning from one another. I am learning to set an example, not for myself but my peers as well. I believe they are mentoring me so that I can mentor those around me. Titus 2:6-8 (NLT) says, “In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely. And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. Teach the truth so that your teaching can’t be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us.” 

I attend church to understand the Bible more effectively. In the past, I had a hard time understanding the lesson of the sermon. Once I started to attend church regularly, I was able to grasp the concepts and learned how to apply these lessons to my daily life. Church teaches me how to think and act positively and not let negative words control the way that I think about the current situation. Learning the truth behind the Word of God has made me more appreciative and thankful for what He has done and will do in my life.

Contributor: T. Dozier-Grady